Middleway Jefferson County Va Oct 28th 1862
Mrs M Williams
I am sorry to Send you the Sad intelligence
About your affectionate son John Wesley Williams who came to
my house the 25th of September with the Pheonumony fever and
we put him to bed and done for him what we could under the
circumstances we done for him Just as if he had been one of our
own family we gave him evry attention that was necessary. his fever
was broken and he appeard to be on the mend when he wrote to you
but his bowls had been so much dig[??]ded that they became disorded
again and he was to weak and exausted to bear it so he died on the
24th of October in the morning about 6 Oclock and we had a coffin
made for him and buried him in the Masonic Buring ground
of this place where his remains will be likely always to be enclosed
as it is not likely that the Masons ever will let the Cemetrary go
doun as we have a very prosperous Lodge here I am a mentor of
that Lodge which was one reason why we got him in the yard thare
and other soldiers buried in this place who were buried in different
places about here some in the Same yard others were buried in a peice
of ground alloted for that purpose. We have every reason to bleave
that your son died trusting his Savour as he bore his affliction
with a great eal of patience as my wife was his only nurse
all the time he was with us, as we have no Servants or any
about the house but our two Selves and a small white girl about
six years old who was very fond of him. so you may know that it
was no small task for my wife attend to your Son in his Sickness as
she had for to help him out and in bed like a child
[page 2]
Whenever his bowls were moved and to hold him till he could
get up to get on the Stool and then lift him up from that
and back to bed again so she was with him as you may know all most day
and night and talked with him About the state of
his Christian faith and attend matters but no one especialy about
his [?????] as he professed to be a member of M. E. Church
which she is a member of also and he told her on Sunday
morning that he should die that he was prepared for heven.
and died with his Testament in bed with [????] by his side I did hope
that he could live to get home again to see you as he desired it so
much and thought yet on Sunday evening that he would be able to get
home again and desired that if he did die that we would send him
home after he was dead we told him that was out of our power as we
was poor people and had not the means to do so however much we
desired to gratify his wish [???] had he the means to take him there
he come have without any Clothes except what he had on and no
money but one Dollar and sixty cents as he said that he lost all
his Clothes in the Battle at Shapesburg Maryland we maneged
to get changes of Clothing for him as he had to be changed
very often the Revd Wm. Hank continued to visit him while he lived
and officiated at his Funeral you may think it strange that I
did not giv him my attentions more instead of my wife but you will
please pardon me when I tell you last I am poor man and have to go to
the country to work to make a living for my family and I have to
to buy every thing we eat or wear and that at high prices and
very little able to work s o I could not be at home and she thought that
she could do it I went to see his Regiment and Company and
let them know where he was and tried to get some one to come
and attend to him the first time I went Luitenant Humphreys
[page 3]
And Col Ransom promised to send for him and send a man
To nurse him in case he could not be moved so I waited
One week and they did not send so I went to see them again and
Cpt Taylor had returned to the Regiment then so Cpt Taylor
gave me twenty Dollars of Confederate money which is but little
service to us as the army has left here so we cannot use it and
he also promised to Send a man to nurse him and send more money
but they have all left out of my reach without eny of them
ever coming to see him or knowing whether he is living or not
as I have not been to go to see any of them since they all appeared
very much consernend about him they told me that he was a
faithful Soldier and they believed a christian now Mrs Williams
you will please answer this as soon as you get it and let us
hear from you as we were strangers when your son come here
but we do not feel so much like strangers now he did expect
a letter from you before he died but did not get one nor
has he received any as yet you will please Direct your
letter to John B Guber Middleway Jefferson County
Virginia he told us that he had never received any thing from
the army or government sence the first of last March nor he never received
his bounty money yours in true friendship
John B Gruber
To Mrs Marium J Williams
Mr John B Gruber